The River
by August08
Summary: On the way to the farmhouse, the guys get into a serious car accident. While his brothers call for help, Mikey finds himself in the land between life and death without his family and friends to help him, so he does everything to hold on to life. It's only with Leo's sacrifice that he is able to let go. Warning: character deaths.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Hey, everyone. I'm back! Thanks to Amonraphoenix I've been on a roll with new stories. Thanks so much, Amonraphoenix! This story was inspired by _The Humbling River_ by Puscifer.

Hope you all enjoy the story.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

* * *

It was going to be a white Christmas this year. Large flakes of snow gently drifted down to earth to settle across the windshield. The Battle Shell glided across the snow covered road on its way to Casey's farmhouse, carrying four very tired and excited turtles. Raphael was driving with Donatello in the passenger's seat, while Leonardo and Michelangelo were sitting in the back. Leonardo was deep in meditation and Michelangelo was staring out into the darkened night, watching as the snowflakes lazily drifted down to cover everything with a white blanket of purity. The youngest took his eyes off of the snowflakes and glanced out the windshield just in time to see Raphael turn onto the private road that would take them to the farmhouse.

"We're almost there, right?" Michelangelo asked.

"Yes, Mikey, we're almost there," Donatello confirmed.

Michelangelo grinned. "Sweet. I can't wait to see April and Casey," he said.

Raphael and Donatello looked at each other and smiled at their brother's childlike behavior. It was Christmas Eve and they were on their way to the farmhouse to spend some time with their friends on a much needed break from the city. It was going to be a time of rest and relaxation, and nothing more.

The snow began to fall more heavily the flakes becoming smaller and thicker. Raphael turned the wipers on, but thought nothing of it. They were supposed to get a fair amount of snow over Christmas so this was no surprise; at least the road was still clear.

Leonardo opened his eyes and glanced up front at the speed Raphael was driving . "Raph, slow down. You're going to get into an accident," the eldest warned.

"I'm goin' a decent speed," Raphael told his brother. "Besides, the road's clear, there's no ice, what could happen?"

As fate would have it, as soon as the words left his mouth, the Battle Shell hit a patch of black ice and began to slide, veering off and coming perilously close to skidding off the road. Raphael cranked the wheel, letting off the gas and managed to get the van back under control. He glanced in the rear view mirror to see Leonardo glaring back at him.

"So much for the road being clear," Leonardo growled.

"Let's do that again," Michelangelo chimed in.

"Let's not and say we didn't," Donatello offered in a shaking voice, face pale and filled with receding fear, as he clutched at his plastron just over his heart.

Leonardo sighed and shook his head. "Raph, seriously, please slow down."

"Leo, for the last time," Raphael began. "I'm not-"

A deer shot out from the brush, Raphael, whose attention was more focused upon his older brother in the back than the road in front of him caught the brief flash of brown and white before he slammed on the breaks, spinning his wheel as he tried desperately to avoid hitting the large horned buck. The Battle Shell jerked as the wheels connected with yet another patch of black ice. The van spun and slid out of control veering off to the left and striking something metal, which quickly gave way under the force and weight of the Battle shell with a screech of tearing metal. The van tumbled down an embankment rolling end over end. Michelangelo's scream and the sound of twisting metal, breaking glass and bodies striking the hard interior of the van were the last sounds anyone heard as everything was suddenly consumed by a void of unforgiving darkness.

* * *

_He didn't know how he got here, or even where __**here **__was. The last thing he remembered was being in the Battle Shell with his brothers. Michelangelo looked around to find himself in a dark and dead forest. The only living thing in the entire forest seemed to be a large river that flowed a few feet ahead of him._

Nature, nurture heaven and home Sum of all, and by them, driven

_"Leo?" Michelangelo called out. "Donny? Raph?"_

_The only answer he received was his own voice echoing back at him. Michelangelo whimpered in fear and wrapped his arms around himself, sinking to his knees. He hung his head and squeezed his eyes tightly closed. He wanted his brothers, and he wanted to go home._

_A sharp pain suddenly shot through his left side. Michelangelo winced and tried to catch his breath, placing a hand to his side. He pulled his hand away and looked down in shock at the dark stain of crimson that was smeared across his palm._

_"Mikey," Leonardo's strained voice broke through the silence of the forest._

_Michelangelo looked up and for a brief moment he thought he saw the Battle Shell lying on its side at the bottom of an embankment._

_"Mikey, answer me," Leonardo pleaded._

To conquer every mountain shown But I've never crossed the river

_"Mikey!" Leonardo yelled in beseeching terror._

* * *

"Michelangelo!" Leonardo yelled as loud as his hoarse voice would allow.

Up front, Donatello coughed and groaned in pain. He opened his eyes and found the windshield shattered, allowing the cold winter air and snow inside. He was hanging from what was now the ceiling, the van having apparently come to a stop on its left side. He was covered in a little bit of broken glass and snow, but otherwise seemed to be okay. Donatello looked down to see Raphael laying on what was now the floor. He was unmoving and covered in shattered glass and red tinged snow as lacerations on his shoulder and arm slowly bled. His brother's chest rose and fell and Donatello breathed out a sigh of relief that Raphael appeared to be unconscious, though he was unsure if the lacerations he could see were the total extent of his brother's injuries.

Donatello looked over his shoulder into the back at his other two brothers. "Leo? You okay?"

"I'm stuck," Leonardo answered softly. "I think we hit a tree."

"What about Mikey?" Donatello asked with worry.

Leonardo grunted in pain, probably trying to get a better look at Michelangelo. "He's not answering," he replied in a strained voice. "I can't see if he's alright or not."

Donatello leaned over in his seat as much as he could, but he couldn't see his brothers in the darkened interior. The purple masked turtle reached into his belt and pulled out his shell cell. He opened it up and dialed the farmhouse phone number. After the third ring April answered.

"Hello?" April asked.

"April, we need help," Donatello tried and failed to keep the panic from his voice.

"What happened? Where are you?" April asked anxiously.

Donatello looked out of the passenger's side window and moaned as he saw nothing but the snow filled sky. He looked out the shattered windshield and narrowed his eyes, searching the darkened forest for anything that looked even remotely familiar. "The private road...I think. My head hurts."

"What happened?" April asked again.

"We went off the road, I think we hit something metal. Guardrail maybe? I'm not sure." Donatello tried to explain but his throbbing head made it difficult to remember current events. _Concussion,_ Donatello thought to himself dully.

"Is everyone okay? April asked fearfully.

Donatello winced, straining against the seatbelt. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "Just hurry."

"Don't move. Me and Casey are on our way," April assured him before the line went dead and Donatello hung up.

He gasped for breath against the cold night air, the seatbelt too tight against his chest, cutting off his ability to take in a deep breath. He reached over and tried to unbuckle his seat belt, but was unable to. Giving a grimace of irritation he turned back to face Leonardo.

"April and Casey are on their way," he reassured his older brother. "Try to see if you can wake Mikey up."

"How's Raph?" Leonardo quickly asked, not having heard anything from their hot-headed brother. "Is he alright?"

Donatello looked down at his red masked brother. "Not sure," he answered truthfully, shivering violently from the cold. "I'm trapped. I can't undo my seatbelt."

Leonardo reached over the back of the seat and gently touched Michelangelo's shoulder. "Mikey? Mikey, can you hear me?"

There was no reply from his baby brother. Leonardo tried to free himself from the branches that kept him pinned to the seat, but they held fast.

"Michelangelo!" Leonardo yelled.

* * *

_Michelangelo rocked back and forth, his hands covering his ears in an attempt to try to block out the images and sounds that assaulted him. He hummed a random tune to keep from hearing Leonardo's desperate calls. He didn't know what was going on; he just wanted to go home._

Braved the forests, braved the stone  
Braved the icy winds and fire

_"Mikey, please," Leonardo continued to beg._

_"Go away," Michelangelo moaned. "Go away."_

_Images of the Battle Shell flipped on its side at the bottom of an embankment continued to flash through his mind. Was it his mind playing tricks on him? Or was it really happening?_

Braved and beat them on my own  
Yet I'm helpless by the river

_Michelangelo looked up towards the river that still stretched out in front of him. What was the purpose of a river in the middle of a dead forest anyway? He wondered. There were no animals or plants that needed it. Michelangelo frowned when he thought he saw something on the other side of the river. He slowly got to his feet and stumbled to the river's edge, his side becoming less and less painful the closer to the river he got._

_"Mikey, please, answer me," Leonardo's voice echoed through the dead forest like a ghostly cry._

_Michelangelo stopped at the water's edge and stared across at what he could only guess was a human child. The young boy waved at him to cross the river, which now that he looked more closely at the other side, appeared less dead than where he was standing. In fact as he watched, more and more greenery seemed to sprout making the other side of the river appear lush and alive; inviting. But when Michelangelo looked down at the water, he found that the current was much too strong for him to swim across._

Angel, angel, what have I done?  
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire

_"Come on," the boy called. "It's fine. The water's not that deep."_

_"It's not the depth I'm worried about," Michelangelo yelled back._

I've conquered country, crown, and throne

_The boy suddenly ran across the large expanse of the river and stood beside Michelangelo. He smiled up at the turtle, his brown eyes sparkling._

_"See? It's no big deal," the child said._

_Michelangelo looked from the boy to the fast flowing water and felt a twinge of panic as the water seemed to call hauntingly to him. He took a step towards the river, his foot touching the icy cold water. He stopped forcing himself to pull back._

Why can't I cross this river?

_"I can't," Michelangelo said. "My brothers they...they need me. I have to get back to them."_

_As soon as the words left his mouth, pain shot through his body, sending the turtle to his knees again. He pressed his hands against his left side and felt a warm, sticky substance ooze between his fingers. Michelangelo looked down to see blood gushing from a large hole in his side._

_"That's what you'll be going back to, Michelangelo," the small boy said sadly. "The pain, and agony; suffering. If you cross the river you won't have to endure any of that anymore."_

_"I can't leave my brothers," Michelangelo whimpered._

_The boy tipped his head to the side, as if he was confused by his answer, but gave a shrug._

_Michelangelo looked up just as the boy put his index and middle fingers against his forehead and everything exploded in a brilliance of pain and misery. _

* * *

Donatello looked out of the passenger's side window when light suddenly flooded the dark van. Up above he could make out the shape of an SUV parked on the side of the road. The doors flew open and two people scrambled out of the car. Donatello's eyes drifted closed as the people made their way quickly down the embankment. The Battle Shell rocked as one of the humans climbed up on to the side and opened the passenger's side door.

"Donny!" Casey's voice broke the deathly silence of the cold night.

Donatello sluggishly opened his eyes and looked up at Casey. It was clear that hyperthermia was starting to set in. Casey wrapped an arm around Donatello's chest before cutting the seatbelt that had held him in place. Jones grunted with effort as Donatello began to slip from his grasp when the seatbelt pulled away, but he managed to keep a firm grip on his friend.

"C'mon, Donny, you gotta help me," Casey pleaded as he pulled Donatello out through the battered and broken passenger side door.

Donatello forced his body to move and helped pull himself out of the wreckage. April was on the ground, waiting to help the first turtle out of the van. She slid an arm under Donatello's arm, helping her disoriented friend walk a little ways from the wreckage.

"Be careful getting the others out," Donatello mumbled to Casey, his lips numb with cold.

April helped Donatello back to the heated SUV and wrapped his shaking body in a warm blanket before going back to assist Casey who was carefully climbing out of the Battle Shell with a bloodied Raphael draped over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

Inside, Leonardo was still trying to get a response from Michelangelo, but with no luck. He could feel tears begin to burn his eyes as he feared the worst.

"Mikey, please, you've got to answer me," Leonardo begged.

As if to answer him, Michelangelo let out a strained moan. Leonardo's heart leapt for joy at the sound. His brother was still alive.

_Angel, angel, what have I done?_

Michelangelo didn't know where he was or what was happening. All he knew was that he was in an excruciating amount of pain. He could feel hot blood oozing down his cold left side, but he didn't know where the blood was coming from.

_I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire_

Michelangelo's head fell forward as he felt himself drift back into the blissful realm of unconsciousness once again, but the sound of the back doors being flung open snapped him back to reality and reminded him of why he was still alive. He couldn't leave his brothers; they needed him, and he needed them.

"April, get the saw!" Casey yelled.

"Casey," Leonardo gritted out in pain. "Get Mikey out first. Please, you have to save him," the young leader begged.

April hurried up to the back of the Battle Shell with a hand saw. Casey took the saw and climbed into the back of the van. His heart plummeted into the pit of his stomach when he saw the chaos. He had seen plenty of gruesome and horrible accident scenes on television, but nothing compared to real life. It was like something out of a horror movie. The seats and wall were covered in blood; it was amazing that no one had been killed.

It was then that Casey saw Leonardo was pinned by the branches of a tree and unable to move. His eyes then sought out Michelangelo his horrified mind processing his friend's injuries and felt as if he was going to be sick. A large chunk of tree had smashed through the window and had embedded itself into the orange masked turtle's left side, probably when the van collided with the tree.

"You have to get Mikey out," Leonardo insisted, his voice slightly slurred.

_I've conquered country, crown, and throne_

"Leo, I don't think that Mike's-" Casey trailed off, not wanting to give his friend the bad news that his brother might be dead.

"You don't think that Mike's what?" Leonardo asked voice soft and hesitant.

Casey moved over to where Leonardo was sitting and began sawing the branches away.

"Casey, no! What are you doing? Save Mikey!" Leonardo yelled.

_Why can't I cross this river?_

* * *

_Michelangelo was back in the forest with the large river and no way to get back to the others. The last thing he remembered was Leonardo yelling at Casey to save him, then everything had gone dark and he found himself back here, standing up to his knees in the flesh numbingly cold river, watching the fast flowing current pass him by._

_"Were those last moments worth it?" the child from before asked as he played in the water near the riverbank. "Was the excruciating pain and confusion worth the few moments of stolen time?"_

_"I don't get it," Michelangelo said. "Where am I?" Michelangelo asked, ignoring the boy's question._

_The boy turned from his playing to look up at the turtle. "I thought you would have figured it out by now."_

_The boy pointed over Michelangelo's shoulder to the land of withered trees and dying vegetation."That's where you will find your family and friends," the boy said before he pointed in the direction Michelangelo was facing, the vast oasis beckoning. "And that's where you will find peace."_

_Michelangelo's eyes widened in horror when he figured out where he was. "I'm dead?" he whimpered in a barely audible voice._

_"Dying," the boy corrected smoothly. "This is the land between life and death. A place of in-between where you decide just how much suffering you wish to endure before the inevitability of death descends upon you."_

_Michelangelo felt his legs slide, the current dragging him ever so slightly towards the opposite bank. He shook his head back and forth in denial. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live! He wanted to go back to the van, to his brothers, his friends. He didn't want to 'find peace'. He forced himself to take a step back, followed by another._

_"What are you doing?" the boy asked him._

_"I'm going back," Michelangelo said through gritted teeth as he took another step backwards, managing to get one foot back on land._

_The boy looked up at him with sad eyes. "But you will only find yourself back here," he warned. "There is no guarantee that you will continue to cling on to life."_

_Michelangelo shook his head in denial. "Donny will fix me up," he declared. "Donny will know what to do."_

_"Have you not seen yourself?" the boy asked._

_Michelangelo looked down at his wounded side which throbbed painfully now that he had managed to leave the river. Only this time instead of just a bloody wound, there was a tree branch sticking out from it._

_"There is too much damage," the boy explained. "Even with his medical knowledge, Donatello will not be able to save you."_

Pay no mind to the battles you've won

_Michelangelo shook his head as tears began to burn his eyes. "No," he whimpered in denial. "Donny will save me. I know he will."_

_"Everyone dies eventually," the boy informed him reasonably. "Though I suppose some do manage to cheat death, but death is always inevitable. Your brother, Raphael has made it here quite a number of times since you've crossed paths with the Shredder and Purple Dragons."_

_"But he always comes back," Michelangelo pointed out._

_"Because it wasn't his time, and because he fought," the boy informed him. "But sometimes it is your time, and no amount of fighting will save you."_

It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle

_"I'll fight," Michelangelo said with determination._

_The boy shook his head sadly. "You'd die on the table."_

_Michelangelo swallowed hard, clenching his fists together. "We were going to see April and Casey. We were going to have a fun time. This wasn't supposed to happen."_

_"Everything happens in its own time," the boy said softly._

_Michelangelo looked out across the vast river. "No," he shook his head in denial." I'm going back. I can't leave my brothers, my father, April, Casey...What will happen to all of them if I'm gone?"_

Open your heart and hands, my son

_"They will continue on and you will be released from the mortal coil that constrains you, hurts and brings pain to you. You will be at peace. You will be...free."_

Or you'll never make it over the river

_"I don't want to be free!" Michelangelo shouted. "I want to go back!" Michelangelo took another step back and the last thing he saw before his world was consumed by unbearable agony was the little boy, shaking his head back and forth in resigned irritation._

* * *

"Mike? Mikey? Can you hear me?" Donatello asked.

Michelangelo opened his eyes to find his brother looking down at him. Without moving his head, Michelangelo glanced around to find himself in the back of an SUV.

"How's he doin', Donny?" Casey asked from the driver's seat.

"He's awake," Donatello answered.

Michelangelo fought back a cry of pain as his body was shot through with red laced pain that nearly had him sinking back into unconsciousness. His fingers twitched, instinctively moving towards the source of his pain, needing to touch his left side, but Donatello stopped him. Michelangelo glanced down to see a large chunk of wood still embedded in his left side. He felt his world blur around the edges are he struggled to stay conscious. Tears pricked his eyes as he tried to blink them back, wanting so badly to prove the boy wrong, but not knowing if he had the strength to do it.

* * *

Leonardo was gently placed next to Michelangelo, whose head rolled listlessly to the side, his tear filled eyes meeting his own.

"Leo," Michelangelo whimpered, a tear falling from his eye to hit the floor of the SUV.

Leonardo reached out and grasped Michelangelo's hand tightly. "Hold on Mikey, you're gonna be fine. I've got you," he promised as Michelangelo's eyes slid closed.

Donatello's fingers shot out searching at Michelangelo's throat for a pulse. "Casey, step on it!" he shouted at their friend as Leonardo felt a spike of fear run through him. Michelangelo's hand was limp and clammy in his own and Leonardo's throat tightened in panic.

* * *

Reviews are welcome, flames are not.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Thanks to Amonraphoenix and Darkunderworld for beta-ing for me. You two are awesome and I would be lost without you.

**Disclaimer**: see chapter one

* * *

Leonardo looked at Michelangelo, panic robbing him of his ability to breathe. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. He concentrated on slowing his breathing so that he could fall into a deep meditative state. He needed to reach Michelangelo, to comfort him and assure him that everything was going to be okay, and that he was going to be fine.

* * *

_Leonardo opened his eyes to darkness; so all consuming it was smothering, cloying, almost sticky. A rolling mist began to fill in the world around him, painting a forest in muted shades of grey and brown. "Mikey!" he called out as the echo of his brother's panicked voice reached his ears._

It'll take a lot more than words and guns  
A whole lot more than riches and muscle

_Leonardo ran through the underbrush, pushing away dead branches, and stumbling over uprooted trees and winding, grasping tree roots that hindered his progress. "Mikey!" he called out again, the sound of rushing water nearly drowning out his baby brother's voice._

_He staggered out from the forest, falling to his knees, a sharp pain shooting through his legs as he lifted up his head, confronted by a human child, who looked at him, perplexed._

_"You're not supposed to be here," the child said as Leonardo's attention was drawn from the boy to Michelangelo, who called out his name._

_"Leo!" Michelangelo was hip deep in the river, about one quarter of the way across. "Help!"_

_Leonardo leapt to his feet, rushing unthinkingly towards the river. His feet struck the icy water and he felt his legs go instantly numb._

_"What are you doing?" the boy asked as he stood next to Leonardo, standing on top of the water._

_"Saving my baby brother," Leonardo ground out as he waded ever deeper into the frigid water. It felt as if the water was repelling him somehow. He was fighting against the swirling currents that seemed to be dragging Michelangelo ever deeper and further away from him. Michelangelo was mid-chest deep and nearly halfway across the expanse of water before Leonardo was able to grab onto his brother's flailing arms._

_"You can't save him," the boy pointed out solemnly._

_"Leo!" Michelangelo wailed, tears of misery coursing down his cheeks._

_"I'm not letting him go! I am going to save him," Leonardo vowed defiantly. "I'm not going to leave him alone. I'm not going to let him die."_

_Leonardo tugged his brother, using all of his nearly sapped strength to pull him back, but he may as well have been trying to move a boulder for all he was able to move his brother. "You have to help me, Mikey!" he pleaded with his brother._

_"I'm trying!" Michelangelo complained as he began to slip from Leonardo's grasp._

_"Mikey!" he shouted. "Please try!" He encouraged._

_Michelangelo gritted his teeth and ever so slowly they moved towards the dead forest, leaving behind the tempting, simplicity and beauty of the vast forest on the other side of the river._

_They both fell hard upon the river's edge. Michelangelo was panting hard with exertion and shaking. Leonardo felt somehow insubstantial, lighter almost. The darkness was grabbing at him, pulling him back._

_"Leo!" Michelangelo yelled at him, fear filling his face. "D-don't leave me!" he begged reaching out a shaking hand towards him._

_"Mikey!" Leonardo shouted in panic as he was swept back. "I won't leave you! I promise!" He vowed as he was unwillingly dragged away from his baby brother, and thrown into back into life._

* * *

Leonardo gasped as he felt himself slammed back into his body as the SUV came to a stop. Leonardo felt weak and disoriented, unable to move when Donatello tried to get him out of the back of the SUV. His brother's panicked voice swirled around him as he heard Casey and April's voices raised in alarm.

Leonardo drifted in and out of consciousness, but was able to answer a few questions that Donatello had posed to him in a moment of lucidity. He was able to gather that he and Raphael were 'stable', while Michelangelo's injuries were considered the most life threatening. Michelangelo had been placed on the kitchen table, and Donatello and April were rushing around, setting up medical equipment and prepping for surgery.

Leonardo had been placed on a love seat in the living room, while Raphael had been placed on the couch. Casey was ordered to apply pressure to the laceration on Raphael's head that was still bleeding. Donatello was worried about a possible concussion or skull fracture, but Michelangelo needed treatment more urgently, so Casey was kneeling beside Raphael, a thick gauze pad pressed against Raphael's skull.

_The hands of the many must join as one  
__And together we'll cross the river_

Leonardo's eyes drifted closed again, needing to find and help his baby brother.

* * *

_(Nature, nurture heaven and home)  
It'll take a lot more than words and guns_

In the kitchen, Donatello and April had managed to get the piece of wood out of Michelangelo's side and were now in the process of trying to stop the bleeding.

Donatello could feel his rising panic at the amount of blood that his brother seemed to be losing. There had been so much damage; Donatello was at a loss of where to even begin to repair his baby brother's grievous injury. Determination replaced panic. He wasn't going to let his baby brother die on his operating table. He flicked a quick glance at April, who was pale, but whose face also contained the faint light of determination as well. She gave a slight nod as Donatello quickly threaded a needle, reaching into his brother's side, and began the almost impossible task of stitching together muscle and tissue.

_(Sum of all, and by them, driven)  
A whole lot more than riches and muscle_

April kept a vigilant watch on Michelangelo's breathing and heart rate, determined to keep him alive and let Donatello know of any changed to either. She wasn't going to lose her friend. She wasn't going to let his heart just stop, not without one hell of a fight.

* * *

_(_To conquer every mountain shown)  
The hands of the many must join as one

_Leonardo strode through the darkness, calling his brother's name. His brother's terror filled voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. He gritted his teeth in determination, willing himself to find his brother, whose voice was raised in panic, calling desperately out for him._

_"Mikey! I'm coming!" he shouted running towards where he knew his brother to be, even though he was still unable to see anything beyond the thick merciless darkness that surrounded him. His feet burned with cold and the darkness cleared, leaving him confronted with the reality that his brother was neck deep in the river, three quarters across the expanse of water._

_Leonardo didn't think, just reacted by diving into the swirling, heaving, water that seemed determined to drag his brother to his death._

_Leonardo surfaced, taking in a deep breath of air as he tried to swim towards his brother, his own ties to life tugging at him, trying to impede his progress. "Mikey! I'm coming, don't give up! Please don't give up!"_

_"L-Leo..I...I can't! I-it's too hard!" Michelangelo sobbed tiredly. "Le...Leo, I'm scared! I don't want to be alone. Please, Leo. I don't want to die!"_

_Leonardo reached out for his brother but his hand clasped the little boy's who appeared out of nowhere._

_"It is not your time." The boy spoke with solemn annoyance and Leonardo felt himself flung back into his body._

And together we'll cross the river

* * *

Michelangelo's breathing slowed, until his chest failed to rise again. April immediately shouted at Donatello, who desperately stared at his friend as if he couldn't believe her words. He looked at his baby brother's pale and unmoving plastron, shaking his head in denial. "Mikey!" he cried out in panic. "Don't you dare do this to me!" He begged as he began performing chest compressions on his brother's plastron. Stopping only to breathe into his brother's mouth trying to revive his baby brother.

_(Braved the forests, braved the stone)  
It'll take a lot more than words and guns_

April's face paled even more as Donatello felt tears of despair begin to trickle down his cold cheeks.

His focus narrowed into a small pinpoint of awareness. His eyes locked upon his hands, crimson with his baby brother's blood.

_(Braved the icy winds and fire)_  
_A whole lot more than riches and muscle_

"Please Mikey, please… no…!" Donatello's voice broke with grief as his brother's body gave no sign of life.

_(Braved and beat them on my own)_  
_The hands of the many must join as one_

"NO!" Donatello yelled. "Mikey!" Donatello shouted in anguish.

_And together we'll cross the river_

April wrapped an arm around Donatello's shoulders as her friend broke down. He had done all he could, but the injury was too serious; there had been too much damage to repair.

"I'm sorry, Mikey," Donatello sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry I failed you."

April picked up a blanket and reverently draped it over Michelangelo's lifeless body.

_And together we'll cross the river  
And together we'll cross the river_

* * *

Leonardo heard Donatello's debilitating roar of grief, and Leonardo felt sorrow rise up and consume him whole. Michelangelo had been so scared, and he had promised -no, swore- to Michelangelo that he wouldn't leave him alone, but he had. He had let his baby brother die, frightened and alone, dragged into the river's icy, numbing, terrifying depths.

He closed his eyes in anguish. Before they snapped open, determination filling him. "I'm sorry, Donny, Raph, Father..." He whispered as he closed his eyes, slowing his breathing. "I love you all." He slowed his heart, forcing that life sustaining organ to slow. Pain shot through him as his body struggled to live, but he ignored the pain, fighting through it until finally it stopped.

_Nature, nurture heaven and home  
And together we'll cross the river  
And together we'll cross the river_

* * *

_Leonardo ran to the river, unhindered by the ties of life. Michelangelo was still struggling, his head sinking beneath the churning surface of the water, only to emerge again, gasping for breath. Again Leonardo dove into the frigid river, but this time, his journey was easy; effortless._

_He grabbed hold of his brother's fatigued body, hauling his brother's head above the water._

_"Leo?" Michelangelo mumbled in quiet disbelief, as if he believed his eyes were playing tricks on him._

Nature, nurture heaven and home

_"Yeah, Mikey, I'm here," he gently told his brother, feeling the nearly vice like grip the river had on them both._

_Michelangelo's eyes filled with tears of relief, but horror suddenly carved itself into his features. "No." Michelangelo shook his head in denial. "No, Leo, No. I-I...why?" His voice cracked with emotion. "Why did you do it? You would have lived."_

_"Because, then you would be alone," Leonardo soothed gently. "And I promised you that I wouldn't leave you."_

_"B-but Raph, Donny, father..."_

_"They have each other, they will be fine," he assured his distraught brother even as he felt regret and sorrow fill him at his own words. _

_He worried about his family, and knew they would be devastated when they learned they had lost two brothers in a single night, but he knew he had made the right decision; he couldn't have left Michelangelo alone to his fate. At least this way they would be together._

And together we'll cross the river

_Michelangelo's wide, trusting, fearful eyes looked into his own._

_"The fight is over, Mikey. It's okay. You can let go," he reassured his brother, giving a quick glance at the boy who stood on the bank of the river closest to them, watching them with puzzlement, and something akin to amazement, and respect crossing his features. He gave them both a gentle smile, and then vanished, the water rising up and over their heads, sweeping them away; together._

* * *

April and Donatello grimly began to wash the blood from their hands and slowly made their way into the living room. April went over to Casey and buried her face in his chest as she broke down her sobbing filling the deathly silent room. Donatello quickly knelt down by Raphael's side trying to push away his debilitating grief before he gave into it and found himself unable to function. Raphael's head wound had stopped bleeding, but he was still worried about a skull fracture. He had just lost one brother, and he refused to lose another.

Donatello was glad to see that Raphael's wound had stopped bleeding, but was concerned by his continued unconsciousness. He glanced over at the loveseat where Leonardo lay disturbingly still.

"Leo?" he asked softly, brushing away the tears that still rolled down his cheeks. He stood and stumbled over to Leonardo's side, reaching out gently shaking his older brother's cool, shoulder. "Leo?" he asked again, and got no reply.

With panic rising in his chest, Donatello quickly placed his fingers against Leonardo's throat, praying that his initial, horrifying suspicions were incorrect. If it were possible, Donatello would have thought his own heart had stopped beating. There was no pulse coming from his big brother, and by the way Leonardo's skin felt, no amount of CPR was going to bring him back.

"No, Leo. Oh, God, NO!" Donatello cried out in grief-stricken devastation.

_And together we'll cross the river _

* * *

Reviews are welcome, flames are not


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Thanks so much to Amonraphoenix and Darkunderworld for beta-ing for me.

**Disclaimer**: see chapter one

* * *

A numb Donatello sat on the floor, his back to the loveseat where his late eldest brother had been lying a few short hours ago. Both Michelangelo and Leonardo had been moved to the spare bedroom; their bodies reverently wrapped up in blankets, awaiting burial. Donatello closed his eyes as fresh tears ran down his cheeks. He didn't know how he was going to break the news to Raphael when he woke up, or Splinter when he returned from his visit to the Battle Nexus.

_What a great time for Sensei to be away for __a visit__,_ Donatello thought bitterly.

But, how was Splinter supposed to know that something like this was going to happen? He buried his face in his folded arms which were propped up on his knees and allowed the silent tears to fall freely down his face. He had lost two brothers in the same night; devastating didn't even begin to describe the heart stopping, soul destroying pain he was experiencing at the moment.

Donatello looked up at Raphael who still lay unconscious on the couch , blissfully unaware of what had a occurred. "I couldn't save them, Raphie," he breathed, his voice sounding too loud in the quiet house. "Mikey died on the table and Leo...Leo died without me even knowing. What was I supposed to do?" Tears continued to well up in his eyes when his brother didn't wake up and offer him any kind of answer or comfort. "We should have stayed home," Donatello whimpered mournfully. "It would have been safer and Mikey and Leo would still be-"

He trailed off as the words caught in his throat. Two brothers, one night. It was someone's idea of a sick joke, and he wasn't laughing. Donatello continued to stare at his unconscious brother and wondered how Raphael was going to take the news about Michelangelo and Leonardo's deaths. It wasn't fair; they did nothing to deserve this.

Donatello buried his face in his arms again, but looked up when Raphael moaned softly. The red masked turtle began to stir as he finally regained consciousness. Donatello slowly stood on legs that shook so badly that they could barely support him. But somehow he managed it and stumbled over to the couch, kneeling down beside his remaining brother. He gently touched Raphael's shoulder and his brother blinked his eyes open slowly. Raphael looked around the room and saw no one except Donatello.

"What happened? Where is everyone?" the sai wielder whispered.

Donatello swallowed thickly, pushing down the lump that was forming in his throat. "April and Casey are outside," he replied quietly.

"And Leo and Mike?" Raphael asked in confusion noticing his brother's avoidance of mentioning their oldest and youngest sibling's names and where abouts. When Donatello didn't answer Raphael began to fear the worst. "Donny, where are Leo and Mikey?" he demanded very slowly, and in a very punctuated voice that was still hoarse, and wavered with vulnerability.

Tears began to well up in Donatello's eyes, he couldn't help it. He had tried to stay strong, knowing that he had to tell Raphael the horrible truth, but he couldn't. He wasn't the strong one, the one that everyone leaned upon for support, that was Leonardo and he was...His breath caught in his throat and he looked away, squeezing his eyes tight with raw grief.

"Donny, where are they?" Raphael snarled again.

"Raph, I-" Donatello choked out. "I couldn't...I tried everything...but, Mikey...Leo… they're..."

Raphael pushed himself up and off the couch, stumbled towards the kitchen. He heard Donatello telling him that he shouldn't be walking around since he had sustained a serious head injury, but Raphael wasn't listening. He looked around at the bloody mess that was still evident in the kitchen. His heart hammered painfully against his ribs as pure, raw horror churned in his stomach.

"Mikey!" Raphael roared, his voice booming in the too silent house. "Leo!"

He clumsily made his way to the stairs. The front door opened and April and Casey came in just as Raphael was making his way upstairs with Donatello following close behind him.

"Raph, stop!" Donatello pleaded. "Let me explain!"

Raphael ignored his plea and took the stairs two at a time. He threw open the door to the spare bedroom and stopped dead in his tracks. On the bed lay two motionless bodies wrapped up in thin blankets. Raphael went through four of the five stages of grief in five seconds as he dazedly walked over to the bed and hesitantly pulled back the top of the blankets covering his brother's faces.

"No…" he choked out in denial, shaking his head madly back and forth as if he could disperse the image and the situation from his mind. But when he opened his eyes, he was confronted again by his brother's faces; motionless and peaceful in death. "NO!"

He collapsed to the floor as his legs gave out from underneath him. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. This had to be a hallucination caused by the head injury. His brothers couldn't be dead; they just couldn't be. Donatello walked up and knelt down beside him, wrapping his arms around his brother and burying his face in Raphael's quivering shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Raph," Donatello sobbed. "I couldn't save them."

Raphael's body shook with uncontrollable sobs. "I did this," he moaned in anguish. "I killed our brothers."

Donatello tightened his grip around his remaining brother. "You did no such thing," he refuted vehemently.

"I was the one driving," Raphael pointed out bitterly. "I wasn't paying attention, and now Leo and Mikey are both dead."

"This wasn't your fault, Raph," Donatello said. "Please don't blame yourself."

Raphael continued to sob, his hand reaching out, unwrapping the blanket from his older brother's side and clutched Leonardo's limp, lifeless hand in his own. "I'm sorry," he whimpered wretchedly. "I'm so sorry."

"This wasn't your fault, Raph," Donatello pleaded again. "Please don't blame yourself."

Raphael continued to sob, his hand clenching Leonardo's cold, unmoving one. He put his free arm around Donatello and pulled him into a one armed hug. "Then you don't blame yourself, either," he said in a quavering voice that held a hint of fierceness.

"I could've saved them," Donatello whispered in anguish. "I should've been able to save them." The tale tumbled from his mouth then, the branch that had impaled their baby brother… his and Aprils' frantic, but futile efforts to save Mikey's life.

Raphael shook his head from side to side fiercely. "From the amount of blood I saw in the kitchen, there was no way Mikey could have survived. You did everything you could, Donny. It was...It was just Mikey's time."

"I was horrified when Mikey stopped breathing," Donatello said with a grief-stricken hiccup. "I can only imagine how scared he must have been."

Raphael nodded in agreement, only able to hold onto the faint hope that his brother had died peacefully, and perhaps even unaware of his life slipping away as his blood spilled upon the floor of the kitchen.

Raphael looked up at Leonardo's still and peaceful face. "H-how...what happened to Leo?" he asked softly, wondering what grievous injury had caused his older brother's death.

"I...I don't know," he whispered wretchedly. "I was with Mikey and Leo was fine...I thought he was fine with minor injuries...but I-I...he was just gone. It was like, like his heart just...stopped.

Raphael's grief was momentarily forgotten as a moment of clarity hit him. He looked at his older brother wondering if he had done what he thought he had. "I think...I think Leo...was worried about Mikey," he whispered with a sadness tempered with understanding.

"I don't...what are you saying, Raph?" Donatello asked.

"I think Leo let go…" Raphael replied voice trailing off before continuing. "He probably knew how scared Mikey had to be and he let go so that Mikey wouldn't be alone."

Donatello looked up at his eternally sleeping brothers and smiled. "I guess even in death Leo was looking out for Mikey."

Raphael hugged his brother, pulling him close. "And we still have each other," he pointed out softly.

Donatello groaned sarcastically. "I guess this means you're going to be the over-protective, pain in the shell big brother now, huh?" he asked with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, the grief he was experiencing still too fresh and raw.

Raphael gave him a wry smirk, tears still shimmering in his eyes. "You'd better believe it, Brainiac."

* * *

_Leonardo and Michelangelo watched their brothers in the crystal clear waters of the river. They were now standing on the oasis side of the vast river. The water no longer dark and dangerous, but clear and calm._

_"They're going to be okay, right, Leo?" Michelangelo asked __worriedly._

_Leonardo put an arm around his brother's shoulders. "They're strong," he answered. "They'll make it."_

_"I just wish __we __could have said good-bye," Michelangelo said __sadly._

_"It's not good-bye," Leonardo told him. "Not really. We'll see them again."_

_Michelangelo continued to watch his living brothers in the water. "What about Master Splinter?"_

_Leonardo thought about it for moment. "He'll grieve, as will Raph and Don. But they have each other to lean on, as well as April and Casey. And besides, we know where to come if we ever want to check on them."_

_Michelangelo nodded and smiled, happy with the thought of seeing his family again __in the future. __"And until then, Donny can keep Raphie out of trouble," he said __with a smirk._

_Leonardo burst out laughing at the thought as they made their way into the lush forest of the oasis behind them. From his place in a tree, the human boy watched as the two turtles disappeared into the __forest __and smiled. He jumped out of the tree and gazed down into the river, watching the two remaining turtles grieve for the loss of their brothers, but also laugh and smile at the fond memories that they shared. With a wave of his hand, the image rippled away with the current, the sound of laughter filling the in-between._

And together we'll cross the river

* * *

Reviews are welcome, flames are not


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